African nationals held for drug smuggling

The Narcotics Control Bureau arrested two South African women and a Nigerian man for drug trafficking at Indira Gandhi International Airport, in two separate incidents.

In the first incident, the NCB sleuths got to know through a local intelligence report, which informed that a South African national will fly to Johannesburg from Delhi via Etihad Airlines and is suspected to smuggle Ephedrine.

A team was formed headed by Madho Singh, zonal director of NCB and the woman was intercepted. "The South African woman identified as Patraicia Sakhile Ncube and her Nigerian friend Johnson was intercepted at the departure area. She carried 10 kilogram of Ephedrine, which was concealed in the bag. She and her friend was subsequently nabbed," said Taj Hassan, Deputy Director General of NCB.

During interrogation, Patraicia stated that she was going to Johannesburg through Abu Dhabi and her friend Johnson had come to see her off. She came to India on July 25 and was received by Johnson and was staying at her friend's place in Delhi. "Both were nabbed immediately," Hassan said.

In the second incident just 12 hours before Patraicia and Johnson was nabbed, another team of NCB sleuths headed by Superintendent Tulika Morang nabbed another South African national for carrying Pseudoephedrine. The woman was identified as Mandaba Violet Xaba. She was to depart from IGI airport to Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Airlines.

As Xaba arrived at IGI airport, the team intercepted her and five-kg of white colour crystalline was recovered. "Pseudoephedrine was found concealed in the bottom of her bag. During interrogation, she said that she came to India on July 13. She was picked up by a Nigerian national Feddy. ," Hassan said.

The bureau is now carrying out raids across the national capital region to nab the associates of the arrested accused.

Also on Saturday, Zambian national was arrested from Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle out 17 kilogrammes of banned drugs worth Rs 36 lakhs outside the country. The Zambian woman was identified as Doris Mwansa and she was nabbed about to board a flight for Addis Ababa.